The Boy Scouts just voted to drop the prohibition on gay youth, changing their long-held stance against allowing homosexuals as members. A lot of scout troops are sponsored by churches and a lot of those churches take stances on homosexuality too. Apparently for some churches that stance will now include dropping their Scout affiliation.

Essentially, these churches are saying that if LGBTQ kids want to join scouts, they’re not welcome. They’re not welcome because the church doesn’t want them in their troop. The kids aren’t welcome because apparently the church thinks that homosexuality is a quality in a kid that disqualifies that kid from participating in church activities.

Usually when law meets love there is a clash. Love must win. But I ‘get’ how difficult this is for parents who love their kids and want them to walk holy lives. For me the issue isn’t the church’s decision but more how shall parents navigate this? If they want to teach love and don’t want their kids to stray into a homosexual lifestyle/influence they will be concerned. Jesus teaches love but also there is accountability. Navigating all of that is clearly, not clear-cut.

It is hard for parents to help their kids navigate these things; and it’s all around them, not just at a scout meeting. School, sports, whatever, there are things that kids need help with all over the place.

Is it just me, or are churches that are like this pretty much like the Pharisees? Jesus would go and hang out with the homosexuals and show love to them, not close his doors to them. How dare we become such a hurtful people to those who are just as lost as the rest of us.